Steering knuckle



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Aug. 5 1924.

A. F. MAsuRY STEERING KNUCKLE Filed May 51. 1921 .i la Si P F F l l TEN ALFRED F. MASURY, F NEW YORK, Y., AssIGNoR 'ro y1N,'rERNArIoNAL MOTOR coMPANY, 0E NEW YoRx, N. Y.,

.A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

s'rEERIllIGr KNUCRLE.

Application-med may '31,

To all whom z't may concer/n.:

Be it 'known that I, ALFRED F. 'MAsUR Y, a citizen of the United States, residing 1n l the borough of Manhattan of the clty of 5 New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Knuckles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof. I

This invention relates to improvements in and about steering knuckles and is concerned particularly with improved means for mounting the same pivotally on an axle. Considerations. which enter into a mounting for steering knuckles are, among others, l strength, minimum friction in the pivot, 1 tightness `against lost motion, adjustability for wear, and facility in assembling and disassembling. All of these considerations have been takenl into account in the improved construction to the end that a very simple, ac-

cessible and eflcient mounting might be af` forded for the steering knuckles of motor vehicles.

4In accordance with the invention the weight of the vehicle is transmitted tothe steering pin through a conical bearing surface of relatively large superficial area. The thrust on the pin is taken on a hardened thrust button mounted adjustably in the knuckle. The relation of parts is such that this button can be fixed in such relation to the pin that the axle can be maintained in fixed relation to the knuckle and held j against such shocks as might come from lost motion. l

The invention will be described in connection with one suitable embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing which shows a fragment of a motor vehicle wheel (partly in section), a fragment of an axle (partly in section) and the improved mountingbetween the axle and the steering knuckleV for the wheel.'

The vehicle wheel a is journaled on the spindle b of a forked knuckle b of approved form` having an upper arm b2 and a lower arm b3 in accordance with present day prac- -tise.` A steerin arm is indicated at B. The vehicle axle c as its end c formedto rest between the upper and lower arms b2, b3 and has a downwardly tapered opening o therethrough adapted to aline generally with alined openings b4, b in the upper and 1921. serial No. 473,814.

pass. A nut f, co-operatingl with the thread-` ed portion formed with or carried by theA upper end of the pin d, will serve to draw the tapered section d of the pinv firmly a ainst' its tapered seat and hold it there. ushings g for the upper and lower cylindrical endsof the pin 'may be interposed between l Ithem and theupperand lower arms b2, b3

of the knuckle. l

In accordance with the present invention the load of the vehicle, which is transmitted to the pin ai through lthe tapered bearing surface d thereof,`is impressed on the lower larm b of the knuckle b through ahardl ened thrust button, indicated at lz.. This button seats in a recess provided in the up.-

per end of an adjusting screw c' which is threaded into the underside of the arm b3 and may be locked in adj usted position. It has been found to be the best practise to provide a clearance, lindicated at c, between the lower surface of the axle end o and the upper surface of the lower arm b8 and to press the upper surface of the axle end against the lower surface of the upper arm b2. In the improved 'construction this" relation is readily secured by setting up on the adjusting screwi until the thrust button k carries Y the pin d with the -axle c upwardly until the axle end 0 engages the upper arm vb2 of the knuckle. At this time the clearance k will be provided. The ractical advantage of this relation resides 1n the fact that the upward and downward movements of the axle c will always be accompanied b corresponding movements of the knuc le b and wheel a. t

The construction is very simple andv efcient. The lubrication is adequate. The parts are held in such relation as to result in' minimum friction on the pivot, and no lost motion thereabout which might injure the parts. In assembling and disassembling the operations arevery simple and lmay he carried on with ordinary tools. The backing out or setting up of the adjusting screw i will cause corresponding movement of the thrust button h and since this button takes the entire thrust from the pin d the position of the pin with relation to the knuckle is determined. I claim as my invention: In combination with a steering knuckle and vehicle axle provided with a vertically tapered opening through its end, a tapered knuckle pin passing through the tapered opening and supporting the axle, the steering knuckle being provided in its upper and lower arms with openings for the upper-and lower ends of the knuckle pin, a screw lthreaded adjustably in the lower arm of the knuckle in line with the pin, said screw hav-V ing a recess in its upper face, a hardened thrust button having parallel upper and lower [faces seated horizontally in said recess and lpresenting an upper bearing surface of substantially the same area as the lower bearing surface of the pin and on which the pin-is directly supported.

` This specilication signed this 27 th day of May A. D. 1921.

ALFRED F. MASURY.` 

